Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-05-05
Government As She Is.

Says Geo. Alfred Townsend, In one
of his characteristic letters to the Gin
cinnati Enquirer: A lady of. convic-
tons and use in the semi-literary world
not unlike President Cleveland's sister
Rose, but more successful in her en-
gagements, said to me on the way
hlther from New York:
81 went to one political convention
where they were nominating Presi-
dent. OF course, it was New York
City. After 1 saw it felt that there
was nothing but prayer to save the
country; nothing but to go home and
pray.
This lady was born in England. but
came to America young. 1 afterward
walked through the White House with
her, and she said again:
81 shall never forget my only visit to
Congress. One man was making o
speech, all alone, nobody listening.
Some were reading newspapers, some
answering correspondence, some yawn-
ing, some splitting, some sleeping. The
Speaker looked as if he was sitting
there for a salary or newspaper men
ton. Nothing of the gravity or polite
ness of church or business meeting!
I felt that prayer was all that could
save the American Government"
1 also felt that stranger to legisla-
ton and conventions might say that
with righteousness and still be wrong,
| because such strangers conceive gov
eminent to be something sacred.
so DID MOSES THINK
When he went up to the mountain to
see no less parsonage than the Lord
of Lords, and receive the Ten Com
mandments neatly engraved on stone
tablets. He expected a reception on
his return. He had seen more dis
tinguished society than Mr.. Lowell, and
as as proud as David Dudley Field,
the author of the New York code.
To his disgust he saw that his coun-
trymen in his absence had got to wor-
Shipping the golden calf.
So Moses condignly broke the origin
al tables of stone, but afterward felt
that the sovereign people were still his
fold, so he engraved the same words,
or words to the same effect, himself,
upon other tablets, and in that way got
the Decalogue.
People should not GO to see Congress
to admire government.
A bout all of, sscred history is rebel
lious kings, jealous kings, slippery peo-
pie, bad subjects, disputed electoral
counts, vide Jeroboam and Rehoboam
and all that. We can not expect tO get
above sacred history, or we should be
the topic of another Bible.
The literature of a people is always
nicer than their politics.
Said the same conscientious lady to
me: "How different the Supreme
Court is from Congress"
But the Supreme Court generally
came through Congress. The Judiciary
system was made by Congressman
| who afterward became Chief Justice.
Ellsworth, John Jay, John Marshall,
all the rest nearly were in Congress.
Behavior is matter of numbers.
The State Legislatures hardly look as
ifthey could turn out one Congressman,
but they turn out nearly all of the Con-
gressmen. The Congressman make
the Senators and Judges.
GEoRGE WASHINGTON PLAYED CARDS,
And sat in the Legislature eighteen
years. He fought game-cocks, rode
after hounds, seldom made a speech,
never got indignant at public morals.
This was the best world he had ever
seen. He felt about it like the lady
who archily said to her husband:
"Tom, amt 1 the best wife you've got?"
My lady friend aforesaid said to me
at the White House, after we had look
ed at the protraits of all the Presidents:
"After all, they were good, fine line
of honest men,"
You see she was respecting persons.
None of these Presidents ever were
on the Supreme Bench. Every one of
them but Zachary Taylor, G. A. Arthur
and Grover Cleveland had been in
Congress. Congress elected Wash
ington to be Commander-in-C Chief out
of its own body.
Men together, in large numbers,
without female society, are only boys.
If they were of longer faces they would
probably be greater hypocri.es. While
they laugh, and loiter and yarn, it is
all right. The deep, dreadful vices are
not frivolous.
1t would have been much better for
this country if the public had never
been admitted to see the sessions of
Congress. Judge Tredell, of the Su-
preme Court, one of Westinghouse APP
pointees, and native of Ireland, said
that more honest and strong men had
been sacrificed to the clamor of open
sessions than the country had left. DIR.
Priestly, who became "A follower of JEFF |
ferson, said that the reason the Ameri- |
can Congress had made an honest Rev |